Western Bay of Plenty members of the Armed Offenders Squad targeted Tauranga's old RSA building on Cameron Road early Thursday afternoon, but this time it was only an exercise to help them hone their skills.
Typically the elite squad is called for incidents such as bomb scares, a crazed gunman or suspected methamphetamine lab.

A member of the AOS talks to SunLive about the training exercise, why it is necessary and how dangerous real situations can be.

They say the training exercise is just as important for the squad because it allows them to maintain their skills and expose any flaws in their procedures.
"It simulates a live situation, which hones our skills," says senior sergeant Glenn Saunders.
They used the old RSA, now the Bay of Plenty District Health Board's Education Centre, with people used to play offenders and victims in the different simulated scenarios.
Glenn says the AOS members were not given details of the various situations and would treat it as if it were really happening - without firing real bullets.